Method of producing sealed crystal layers in bottles



Jan. 12, 1937. F. PRocHAzKA 2,067,731

METHOD OF PRODUCING SEALED CRYSTAL LAYERS IN BOTTLES Filed Nov. 16, 1935Teununw 'In fen Z'or4 FfQpH ProchZ Hd y ,Ulf/- Patented Jan. 12,1937

UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE RIETHOD 0F PRODUCING SEALED CRYSTAL l LAYERSIN BOTTLES 4 Claims.

My invention is directed to a novel method or process of forming acrystal coated surface upon the inner surfaces of transparent containerssuch as bottles or the like which are particularly adapted for use inthe sale of whiskies known as rock and rye in combination with means andmethods for vbinding said crystals together and coating the exposedsurfaces thereof with a substance such as parain or its knownequivalents, which substances are impervious to whiskey or other liquidand which have no undesirable reaction in contact therewith.

Heretofore it has been known in the art of rectiiication and.manufacture of liquors that crystals may be formed and caused to adhereto some extent to the inner surface of a glass bottle, and such crystalformation has to a considerable extent beenrpracticed with theundesirable result that the liquids placed into the bottle (wherewhiskies or liqueurs are not fully saturated with sugar and sugarsyrup), will absorb or dissolve the crystals formed in the bottle. Asstated, the past practice for many years has failed to evolve a methodand means to eliminate either the dissolution of the crystals formed onthe bottle wall, or the undesirable action of the liquid in breaking thebond or adhering tendency of the crystals themselves to the bottle wallwhich have resulted in the disappearance or falling down to the bottomof the bottle of the crystal formation on the inner surface of thebottle. Furthermore, recent demands in the trade indicate desire forso-called rock and rye whiskey which is of a sugar syrup contentconsiderably less than the fully saturated rock and rye known in thepast, and in many instances, for a whiskey of relatively high alcoholiccontent with lower sugar syrup content. A fur- I ther demand is for apackage for such product which will show for long periods of time theproper crystal formation visible through the glass walls. Withheretofore known methods fulllment of these demands is impossible forreasons heretofore stated.

Accordingly, it is an important object of my invention to provide amethod and process consisting of a combination of stepsof not only form-A further object of my invention is the provision of a transparentcontainer such as a bottle for liquors of relatively high alcoholiccontent having adjacent the inner surface thereof iirst a layer ofsyrup; thence thereupon a layer of sugar crystals of various irregularsizes and shapes and thence a layer of a water impervious compositionsuch as parafn or its known equivalents which will protect the crystallayer from the action of the liquid contents and hold said crystal'layer in proper position to present a desirable uniformly crystallizedinner surface for the bottle plainly visible from the outside.

Other and further objects of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and lslaims.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawing andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational and partially cross sectional view of atypical glass bottle container with parts broken away to show the innerlayers formed along the inside wall.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a segment of the bottlewall with only a coating of syrup applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing in cross section atypical view of the container wall after the application of crystals.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a cross section of theiinished superposed layers.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral ill indicates a bottlewhich may be of any convenient size or shape and preferably made ofclear glass having its upper end terminating in a suitable neck whichhas thereon a threadingly engaged screw cap II.

The first step in the practice of my invention is to pour into a glasscontainer a suicient amount of sugar syrup of substantially glueyconsistency sufficient to be distributed upon the entire inner surfaceof the bottle by proper rotation and movement of the bottle, the surplussyrup not adhering to the walls being preferably poured off. This stepforms a relatively thin syrup layer I2, as shown in the enlargedfragmentary view of Fig. 2.

The next step is to apply and evenly distribute sugar crystals upon theentire inner surface so that the same adhere and contact the gluey syrupcoating i2. I have found this can be satisfactorily performed by placinginto the bottle approximately two ounces of sugar crystals or preferablycrystal rock candy in a form sufficiently broken and divided so that thesame do not vary too greatly in size, and being preferably of a sizewithin the ranges indicated in the enlarged fragmentary view in Fig. 3.In the drawing, the reference numeral I3 indicates the rock candycrystals, which after being placed in the bottle are caused to besubstantially evenly distributed upon the entire inner syrup coating I2by rotation and movement of the bottle. The bottle with the syrupcoating and adherent crystals is then set aside and allowed to dry andharden for a period of about two weeks, after which time the syrup isrelatively hard and the crystals dry.

The next step consists of applying and evenly distributinga paraffincoating to the entire interior surfaces of both the crystals I3 and somuch of the syrup coating I2 as may remain exposed between the variousadjacent crystals. I found that this may be satisfactorily applied bypouring into the bottle a sulcient quantity, preferably a full bottle,of hot melted parailin preferably at a temperature of between :and 170F. When the hot thin parailln comes in contact with the inner surfacesof the crystals I3 and such exposed surfaces of the syrup coating l2 asmay remain between the various crystals, the parafn immediately beginsto harden around such crystals and between the same and thereby thecrystals I3 are completely surrounded and sealed with semi-hard -paramnto form the sealing coating I4 indicated in the enlarged cross sectionalview of Fig. 4, this coating I4 iillling up entirely the variousirregularly shaped spaces between the crystals as well as adhering toall the exposed surfaces of the crystals which project from the syrupcoating I2. While this is going on and while the main part of the hotparailin is still liquid, I drain the bottle of the liquid paraln,thereby leaving the crystals I 3 completely enveloped and sealed withinthe coating I4 which upon further setting will harden to the normalhardness of dry paraffin. It will be understood that this parain coatingI4 acts to hold the crystals in the position which they have `taken whencoming in contact with the syrup coating to thereby prevent dislodgementand falling of the same to the bottom of the bottle as well as forming aliquid impervious coating about the crystal surfaces. As indicated inFigs. 1 and 4 the inner surface of the parailln coating I4 is quiteirregular in shape due to the various sizes, shapes and degree ofprojection of the various crystals.

The paraiin and syrup coatings or liners formed as above indicated withthe contained crystals readily produce a semi-transparent package,namely of sufficient transparency to see the normally darker whiskeycontents of the bottle. To a viewer of the exterior of the bottle thecrystals are quite bright and have their normal appearance, thisproducing a very desirable appearing package which produces thecrystal-coated wall and package. 'I'he glass container, to the innerwalls of which rock candy crystals have been applied in the manneraforedescribed, will last an indenite length of time and the crystalswill not, without manual force, break away or fall to the alcoholiccontent or proportion of the liquor.

as a whole, and likewise eliminates the possibility of any change in thesugar or sugar syrup content of the whiskey which also has been aheretofore unsolved difliculty where crystals were dissolved by theliquid contents.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied andlikewise that various steps of the process 'may be varied through a widerange without departing from the principles of this invention, and Itherefore do not desire to limit the patent granted hereon otherwisethan necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention;

1. In a process of coating the interior of a liquid container, the stepsof lrst applying to the interior of the container a syrup of glueyconsistency in a relatively thin layer; thence placing sugar crystalsinto said bottle and distributing same over substantially the entireinner surface so that the same will adhere to said syrup; allowing thesyrup and crystals to dry and harden; and thence applying moltenparailln to the inner surfaces of said crystal coating and allowing saidparan to harden.

2. The process of forming adjacent superposed layers of sugar crystalsand paraffin upon the inv terior of a bottle consisting of placing intothe bottle syrup of a gluey consistency, pouring the excess syruptherefrom; thence applying sugar crystals to substantially the entireinner surface of said bottle and in contact with said syrup; and thencesealing said crystals in said bottle and together by applying meltedparaiiin thereto and allowing said paraiiin to solidify.

3. The process of forming adjacent superposed layers of sugar crystalsand paraffin upon the interior of a bottle consisting of placing intothe bottle syrup of a gluey consistency, pouring the excess syruptherefrom; thence applying sugar crystals to substantially the entireinner surface of said bottle and in contact with said syrup; thenceplacing hot parailin into said bottle and allowing it to stand a.relatively short time and thence pouring the surplus paraiiin fromwithin the bottle, thereby permitting the paraffin to form a semi-solidcoating over said crystal layer.

4. In a process of coating the interior of a liquid container, the stepsof rst applying to the interior of the container 'a syrup of glueyconsistency in a relatively thin layer; thence placing sugar crystalsinto said bottle and distributing same over substantially the entireinner surface so that the same will adhere to said syrup; and thenceapplying molten parailn of approximately 160 to F. to the inner surfacesof said crystal coating and allowing said applied materials to harden.

FRANK PROCHAZKA.

